Check-book stub holder



Oct. 18, 1932. B. SNIVELY ET AL CHECK BOOK STUB HOLDER Filed April 3, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 18,1932. c. B. SNIVELY ET AL CHECK BOOK STUB HOLDER Filed April 3. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I .ll-lll-Yl llnllullll Patented Oct. 18, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHESTER B. SNIVELY AND HOWARD M. WOLF, OF WAYNESBCRO, PENNSYLVANIA CHECK-BOOK STUB HOLDER Application filed April 3, 1931.

This invention relates to check book stub holders and has for an object to provide a simple and effective device for separating the stubs from the checks when the book is opened.

5 to afford a clear unobstructed View of the blank sheet of checks and attached stubs of ofiice check books, stock certificate books, and similar stub books.

A further object is to provide a simple and effective device for holding back the leaves of books, whether bound or in a binder book form, where the leaves do not have stubs.

A further object of the invention isto provide a device of this type including a support for receiving the bound edge of the check book, the support carrying a pivoted frame having a longitudinal bar which is engageable between the used stubs and the fresh sheet of blank checks when the book is closed, 0 and which is easily rocked outwardly when the book is opened to press back the used stubs as a unit and display the fresh sheet of checks and attached stubs before the user.

vide a device of this type in which the longitudinal separating bar of the pivoted frame will itself be pivoted to permit of the bar turning on its trunnions to lie flat upon the underneath surface of the stack of used coupons to conform to the varying curvature of the stack, while being pressed back out of the way when the book is opened.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simple clutch device for the pivoted frame which will yieldably hold the frame in'open position and may be. readily dislodged against the tension of a controlling spring to rock the frame downwardly to permit of the stubs being returned to fiat condition when the book is closed.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character having a support which will be adjustable to receive the bound edges of check books of various thickness.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character which will be light in weight, strong and durable in service, as well as being inconspicuous and devoid ofcomplicated parts which might get out of order.

Vith the above and other objectsin view A further object of the invention is to pro- Serial No. 527,561.

the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. 7

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an office check book showing-the book open and the used stubs pressed back by our improved apparatus,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the check stub holder constructed in accordance with the invention, l

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the check book holder, showing the same in released position to separate the stubs from the blank checks when the book is closed,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 44 of'Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View taken on the'line 5-5 of Fig. 3,

Fig; 6 is a fragmentary rear elevation ofthe device in released position and showing the clutch engaged,

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modified form of the invention for application to check books of various thickness,

Fig. Sis a detail cross sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7, and I Fig. 9 isa fragmentary detail view showing the back plate equipped with spring leaves to accommodate'books of small thickness- Referring now. to the drawings in which like characters of referencedesignate similar parts in the various views, a check book 10 is shown of the oflice type, in which a plurality ary. The stub edge of the book is bound n by the usual binding 13, and the book is equipped with covers 14 of comparatively stiff material, as is customary. In practice, a book of this type, as well as similar books, such as stock certificat books and other books having stubs or coupons, are rather difficult to handle Y as the used stubs increase in thickness, usually the writer being required to use one hand for holding back the. written or used stubs while writing on the unwritten or unused stubs either before or after the checks have been written. Again, after checks and stubs have been written and later it is desired to post the information written on the stubs to a ledger, it is necessary to hold back the stubs from each other so as to promote an unobstructed view of the information thereon for posting to the ledger or journal. in order that the used stubs may be pressed back in both of the above mentioned situations, we provide apparatus which will now be described.

In carrying out the invention, a holder for the. bound edge of the check book is provided, the same comprising preferably a bar 15, the opposite ends of which are bent upwardly, as shown at 16, and then inwardly, as shown at 17, to provide terminal hooks for engaging the end edges of the binding. Lugs 18 are struck from the rear longitudinal edge of the bar and provide back stops for engaging the back edge of the binding. A perforated ear 19 is struck from the upstanding portion 16 of each hook and extends rear-wardly beyond th corresponding hook. These ears form bearings to pivotally receive the stub operatin frame, which will now be described.

The stub operating frame comprises a shaft 20 which extends longitudinally of the bar 15 and is journaled at the ends in the bearings 19, and both ends of the shaft proj eet beyond said bearings. A pair of arms 21, preferably formed of bar material, are rigidly secured at the lower ends to the projecting ends of the shaft 20, and, preferably, for this purpose, the ends of the shaft are squared, as shown at 22, and pass through correspondingly shaped openings 23 in the arms. These arms form lever arms or crank arms which, as will be understood, turn as a unit with the shaft. One of the arms 21 is equipped with a laterally directed lug 24 preferably struck from the edge of the arm and constituting a grip by means of which the pivoted frame may be rocked on the support above described.

A flat bar 25 is disposed to bridge the outer free ends of the crank arms 21 and is provided at the. ends with gudgeons 26 which are loosely fitted in openings formed in the crank arms. The bar 25 may thus be said to be pivoted or swiveled on the crank arms for a purpose which will hereinafter be more fully explained.

A helical spring 27 is disposed to surround one end of the shaft 20 near one of the bearings 19 and is confined under tension between said bearing and a collar 28 which is adjustably secured to the shaft by means of a set screw 29.

The opposite bearing 19 is provided with an integral clutch member 30 having a V shaped recess 31 in the face, as best shown in Fig. 6.

A mating clutch member 32 is secured to the shaft 20 by means of a. set screw 33 or otherwise, and is provided in its face with a V- shaped projection 34, as bestshown 111 Fig. 3, which is adapted to ride into and out of the V-shaped recess in the clutch member 30 against the tension of the spring 27 when the pivoted frame is manually rocked lnwardly toward the book or outwardly from the book. The V-shaped projection 34 lodges in the vshaped recess 31 at either extreme position of the pivoted frame and holds the frame stationary.

By referring more particularly to Fig. 4, it will be seen that, to apply the device to an ofiice check book, for instance, the pivoted frame is rocked open on the shaft until the arms 21 extend perpendicular to the shaft and the clutch is engaged at this limit of movement of the frame, the spring 27 yieldably holding the clutch engaged. One cover of the book is then opened and passed between the frame and the shaft, and the holder is then slipped onto the bound edge of the book until the hooks and stop lugs, together with the bar 15, securely embrace the bound edge of the book. If the book already has been used so that a considerable thickness of stubs 12 exists, as shown in Fig. 4, the stubs may be pressed back underneath the bar 25 of the pivoted frame, as best shown in Fig. 1. The frame in this position holds the stubs pressed back so that an unobstructed view of the underlying leaf with its plurality of checks and stubs is presented to the user.

Prior to closing the check book, the grip 24 may be grasped and the pivoted frame rocked downwardly thereby, such movement disengaging the clutch against the tension of the spring 27 and disposing the separating bar 24 between the used coupons and the fresh underlying sheet of checks, as best shown in Fig. 4. In this position of the parts, the clutch again is engaged by expansion of the spring 27 to maintain the frame collapsed until it is desired to again use the check book. Obviously, to move the frame to operative position, it is simply necessary to grasp the grip 24 and rock the frame upwardly after the cover is opened, the bar.

25, during this movement of the frame, swiveling on the crank arms 21 to conform to the varying curvature assumed by the stack of stubs, and pressing the stubs back out of the way. The spring 27 again expands to engage the clutch when the frame arrives at a vertical position and maintains the frame erect to hold the stubs pressed back while the check book is being used.

In order to accommodate the device to check books or similar books of various thickness, by now referring to Fig. ,7 it will be seen that the base bar 35 of the holder is provided at each end with an upstanding lug 36 having tongues 37 struck from the outer face thereof. An angle clamp 38 is provided, one

leg of the clamp overlapping the lug 36, and also being provided with spring tongues 39 struck therefrom. A pair of springs 40 are terminally secured in the lugs 37 and 39 of the angle clamp 38 and lug 36 and permit of these parts being spread apart against the tension of the springs to receive the bound edges of books of various thickness. For directing the relative sliding movement of the angle clamp, a guide lug 42, best shown in Fig. 8, is struck from the lug 36 and is passed through a vertical slot 41 in the angle clamp and is then directed laterally, as shown, to provide a stop which anchors the angle clamp to the lug.

In Fig. 9, the base bar 43 which supports the book is shown as being provided at the ends with upstanding flanges 44 to which are fixed downwardly extending spring leaves 45 which overlie the bar 43. The purpose of this construction is to accommodate books of small thickness, as will be understood.

In order to eliminate any possibility of the metal touching and scarring desks or tables, anti-friction feet 46 are fixed to the base bar of the device, in both the preferred form and the modified form of the invention. These feet may be formed of rubber, felt, or other similar material, and may be either screwed or riveted to the base bar, as desired.

From the above description it will be seen that we have provided an extremely simple and light-weight device for turn ng back the stubs of check books, which device is inconspicuous when applied and which is devoid of complicated parts.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

1. A device for pressing back the used stubs of check books comprising a support adapted to be applied to the bound edge of the check book, a pivoted frame on sald support adapted to be engaged underneath the used stubs and separate the same from the checks, and a spring-pressed clutch for y eldably holding the frame in upright posltion to maintain the stubs pressed back or in collapsed position to separate the stubs and the checks.

2. A device for pressing back the stubs of check books comprising a support adapted to receive the bound edge of the check book, a frame pivoted to the support, a pivoted separating bar embodied in the frame structure and engageable between the used stubs and the sheet of checks of the check book when the frame is rocked in one direction on its pivot, means for manually rocking the frame to upright position, said separating bar pressing back said used stubs during such movement of the frame to present an unobstructed view of the checks to the user, and a spring-pressed clutch automatically engageable when the frame reaches its limit of upright movement to maintain the frame at said limit of movement and hold said stubs pressed back,

3. A stub manipulator for books having perforated sheets producing stubs, comprising a support adapted to receive the bound edge of the book, a spring controlled frame pivoted on the support, and a pivoted longitudinal bar on the free end of the frame and engageable between the used stubs and sheets of the book and adapted to swivel and conform to the curvature of the stubs while pressing back the stubs to display an unobstructed view of the blank sheets.

4. A stub manipulating device for books having perforated sheets producing stubs, including a support adapted to receive the bound edge of the book, a frame pivoted on the support and terminating in a pivoted bar engageable underneath the used stubs in re.-

leased position, means for rocking the frame to upright position to press back the stubs, said bar swiveling to lay flat on the stubs while the frame is being rocked and means for yieldably holding the frame in upright position.

5. A stub manipulating device for books having perforated sheets producing stubs, including a support for receiving the bound edge of the book, a shaft pivoted on the support and provided at the ends with crank arms, a bar pivoted at the ends to the free ends of the crank arms and extending parallel with the shaft, the shaft, the crank arms and the bar being rockable as a unit to dispose the bar between the used stubs and the unused sheets of the book, means for rocking said shaft to carry said bar upward for pressing back the used stubs, and means for holding the shaft yieldably at one limit of its pivotal movement.

6. A stub manipulating device for books having perforated sheets producing stubs, including a bar provided with terminal and intermediate stops to engage the bound edge of the book, perforated ears extending from said terminal stops, a shaft journaled at the ends in said ears and extending parallel with said bar, a frame pivot-ed on said shaft and including a transverse bar engageable between the used stubs and the unused sheets of the book, a clutch including a stationary member fixed to one of said ears and a member fixed to said shaft, a spring on said shaft exerting an endwise pressure on the shaft to hold said clutch yieldably engaged, and a grip on said frame for moving the frame to press back the used stubs, said clutch being engaged by said spring at both limits of movement of the frame.

7 A stub manipulating device for books and unused sheets of the book when the frame is rocked in one direction, means for rocking said frame in the other direction to cause said member to press back the used stubs, said member swiveling on its pivot to conform to the varying curvature of the used stubs while being pressed back, and a springpressed clutch yieldably holding said frame in either limit of its pivotal movement.

8. The combination with an office check book, of a support adapted to engage the bound edge of the book, a frame pivoted on the support and having a transverse member pivoted at the ends to the frame and adapted to be engaged between the used stubs and the blank pages of the check book, a grip for manually moving said frame to upright position on said support for pressing back the used stubs, and a spring-controlled clutch yieldably holding said frame in either of it opposite limits of movement.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signa tures.

CHESTER B. SNIVELY. [1 s] HOWARD M, WOLF. [L. s.] 

